Method and device for the mass manufacture of modular concrete units

ABSTRACT

A method of mass manufacturing modular units wherein a horizontal concrete slab is cast at a first level to form a base and thereafter raised to a second level where vertical concrete walls are cast over the base. The vertical concrete walls, once set over the base to form a modular unit, are lowered to the first level and the unit is removed whereby to make place for the casting of a further unit. A device for carrying out the above method comprising a mold for casting a horizontal concrete slab at a first level to form a base. A second mold is mounted at a second level for the casting of vertical walls, this second mold having a lower open end. A hydraulic lift is provided to raise the first mold from the first to the second level and beneath the lower open end of the second mold whereby the vertical walls may be cast over the base. The hydraulic lift then lowers the base and vertical walls to the first level, the modular unit being then taken away to make place for the casting of a further modular unit.

United States Patent 91 Drupals I Oct. 9, 1973 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE MASS MANUFACTURE OF MODULAR CONCRETE UNITS [21] Appl. No.: 35,429

Primary Examiner-Charlie T. Moon Attorney-Raymond A. Robic [57] ABSTRACT A method of mass manufacturing modular units wherein a horizontal concrete slab is cast at a first level to form a base and thereafter raised to a second level where vertical concrete walls are cast over the base. The vertical concrete walls, once set over the [52] U.S. Cl 264/256, 29/429, 29/462, base to form a modular unit, are lowered to he firs 425/62, 425/125 level and the unit is removed whereby to make place [51] Int. Cl B28b 1/16 for the ca ting of a further unit. [58] Field of Search 264/33, 256; 425/62, A device f carrying out the above method 425/125; 29/429, 462 comprising a mold for casting a horizontal concrete slab at a first level to form a base. A second mold is [56] References Cited mounted at a second level for the casting of vertical UNITED STATES PATENTS walls, this second mold having a lower open end. A 1,570,617 1/1926 Copeman 264/256 hydraulic lift is Provided to raise the first mold from 1,757,450 5 1930 copemanu, 2 4 25 the first to the second level and beneath the lower 2,839,812 6/1958 ,Berliner 264/256X open end of the second mold whereby the vertical 3,011,241 12/1961 Fry et al. 425/62 X walls may be cast over the base. The hydraulic lift 39259-679 7/1965 26V33 X then lowers the base and vertical walls to the first 3,558,095 l/l97l McNiel 425/62 X levellhe modular unit being then taken away to make place for the casting of a further modular unit.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures H ll]. m j-\ i; 65

O r O lllllllll' llll l PATENTEUBU 9191a 3,764,648 SHEET 10F 3 INVENTOR Henry DRUPALS A TTORNEY PATENTEDHET' 9 ma 8.764548 sum 3 0F 5 mum T nul ZZLB INVENTOR Henry DRUPALS I METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE MASS MANUFACTURE OF MODULAR CONCRETE UNITS The present invention relates to a method and a device for the mass production, in a factory, of modular units intended to be assembled on a predetermined site to form a dwelling.

A number of manufacturing methods and devices have, in the past, been proposed for the manufacture l of houses in factories to be thereafter transported on the site for erection on ready-prepared foundations. The houses built according to the known method and with the known devices, either as complete units or as components intended to be assembled on predetermined sites, have not given the expected successful results due mostly to their relatively high costs resulting from a complex manufacturing method as well as from complicated equipment. Apart from the high cost of such equipment, the complexity thereof also necessitated the hiring of relatively competent workmen, all tending to raise the cost of the final product.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for the mass production of houses, in factory to be assembled on site, and which are extremely simple in concept'and in practical embodiment whereby appreciably reducing the final cost of houses as compared either to presently known factory built houses or those built entirely on site.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and device of the aforesaid types of such simplicity that the hiring of very skilled workmen to carry out the invention is not necessary.

The above-mentioned object can be obtained with a method and a device according to the invention wherein a base is first cast at a first level and then brought to a second level, above the first one, for placing concrete over the base to form vertical walls and obtain one modular unit. After the concrete of the walls has set sufficiently, the unit is lowered from the second to the first level and is moved away to make room for the casting of the next unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base is cast in a wheeled mold at a location directly beneath the second level mold into which the vertical walls are cast. It will be appreciated, however, that the base may also be cast at a location away from the second level mold.

Also, the side panels forming the mold for the vertical walls are mounted to be slightly movable away from one another after the concrete has set, to ease in demolding the said vertical walls when the unit is lowered to the first level.

A better understanding of the invention will however be possible with the description that follows of preferred embodiments of the method and device of the invention, reference being had to the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a prespective view of a modular unit made according to the invention and shown being lowered on pre-cast foundation walls or on granular fill in basement-less dwellings;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a comer of the mold for casting the concrete vertical walls of the modular unit;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a resilient adjustable supporting means for one panel of the mold for casting the vertical walls;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the supporting means of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing the lateral panels of the mold for the vertical walls being moved away for demolding;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the complete casting 0 assembly, the concrete base being located at the first level;

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 6 showing the base raised to the second level;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the complete modular unit being brought to the first level after demolding of the vertical walls.

With reference to FIG. 1, a completed modular unit 1 is seen about to be set on pre-cast foundation walls 3. For a predetermined house plan, a number of different modular units will be required which are designed for assembly side by side to form the house. One mold assembly made according to the teaching of the invention will thus serve for the prefabrication of one such modular unit; there thus being as many different mold assemblies as there are differently designed modular units, these units being thereafter assembled much in the same manner as the pieces of a jig-saw puzzle; It will be appreciated that houses may, in this manner, be mass produced in a factory where a casting floor may make several units simultaneously, therebeing as many different mold assemblies as there are differently designed units, as aforesaid. D

By modular unit" is meant a component designed to be juxtaposed to several other components of a similar type to make up a house.

Thus, in FIG. 1, the overhanging portion 5 of the base, 7 of one vertical wall and 9 of the roof may constitute half the confining walls of a hallway of the house, the other half being formed by similar components of the adjacent unit (not shown) edge abutting the unit 1. Similarly, the overhanging portion 11 may constitute half of the floor of a bathroom.

FIGS. 2, 3,4 and 5 are particularly intended to illustrate the resilient adjustable supporting means for the outer side panels 13 and inner side panels 15 of the mold for casting the vertical walls. The vertical mold is illustrated in position in FIGS. 6 through 8.

The resilient supporting means comprises, as shown, a circular base plate 17, preferably made of two halves, secured to the outer face of panel 13 by means of screws 19. The center of the base plate 17 is raised as at 21 to define an inner chamber 23 for the reception of the head 25 of an adjusting screw 27. This screw 27 has a threaded portion 29 and a reduced portion in the. form of a shank 31 extending freely across an opening 33 through the raised center 21 of the base plate 17. As shown, shank 31 is the portion between the head 25* and the threaded portion 29 of the adjusting screw 27 The latter has the outer end thereof extending freely between the web 35 of two [s 37 and has an operating head 39 in abutment with a plate 41 secured over the outer flanges of the two [s 37 and acting as a washer. The threaded portion 29 screws into a nut 43 secured, as by welding, to a plate 45 fast with the inner flanges of the two [s 37.

. A spring 47 is mounted fast at one end with plate 45 and, at the other end, with the base plate 17. The latter cally disposed casting molds 13, 15.

end is held into position by a series of clamps 49 held into position by means of screws 51. Finally, an abutment 53 is secured at one end to the plate 45 and terminates short, in the position illustrated in FIG. 4, of a screw 51 of one of the clamps 49.

The resilient adjustable supporting means just described operates as follows:

In casting position of the mold panels, the adjusting screw 27 is rotated to move panels 13 and 15 toward one another panels 13 being moved until the angular adjacent corner edges 55 (FIG. 5) abut one another. It will however be appreciated that in moving the corresponding adjusting screws 27, the panels will have their adjacent corner edges spaced from one another in molding position. While the molding position of two panels 13 can be selected to be the abutment position 4 of the corner edges 55, the corresponding molding position of the inner panels 15 will depend on the desired thickness of the vertical walls 59. In view of the fact that, in molding position, the corner edges 57 will be spaced from one another, it is suggested that an angular sealing strip 61 be provided on the inner faces of the walls 15. This angular strip, preferably made of rubber, will have one leg secured to one face of one panel 15 while the other leg is free to slide over the face of the other panel 15.

Springs 47 are adjusted so that in moving the panels 13, 15 toward casting position, they are pre-tensioned so that their tendency will be to bias panels 13, 15 away from one another, when they have reached their casting position.

In this manner, after the concrete of walls 59 has set, a simple counter rotation of the adjusting screws 27 will move panels 13, 15 away from one another, this movement being assisted by the pre-tensioned springs 47. The magnitude of displacement of panels l3, 15 should be merely sufficient to relieve the friction between the faces of the concrete walls 59 and the inner faces of panels 13, 15 whereby to facilitate demolding of the vertical walls 59. This distance may be preset by properly selecting the length-of the abutment members 53 thus setting the gap a through which the side panels 13, 15 may move.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 6 for a description of the method of the invention as well as other constructional features pertinent thereto.

In accordance with the invention, the floor or base 63, having the overhanging portion 5, is'first cast ina mold 65, preferably mounted on wheels 67 movable over a first level 69. Casting of base 63 may be cast directly beneath mold 13, 15, as shown in FIG. 6, or at a location away from mold 13, 15. In the latter case a series of bases 63 are cast at the said location and then are moved beneath a corresponding number of verti- In a second step, preferably before the concrete of base 63 has set, the said base and its mold 65 is raised by means of a hydraulic lift or elevator 71 to a second level 73 where the top face of base 63 lies against the lower openings of the vertically disposed casting mold 13, 15. Concrete is then poured into mold 13, 15 for casting the vertical walls 59. This is the situation illustrated in FIG. 7. If the concrete in base 63 has not set, bonding between base 63 and walls 59 will be ensured. Otherwise, it is suggested to provide conventional binding means in order to ensure a safe bond therebetween. This may be obtained by means of a tongue and groove arrangement as shown in FIG. 7 and by providing upwardly extending reinforcing rods over the face of the base 63 to extend into a mold l3, 15.

After concrete has set sufficiently, the resilient adjustable supporting means described above with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are operated so as to spread lateral panels 13, 15 apart to release vertical walls 59 for easy 'demolding in the manner shown in FIG. 8. The modular unit is then wheeled away to make room for the next unit. As a completion step, a horizontal flat slab 9 is set over the modular unit to define a roof as shown in FIG. 1.

Openings through the vertical walls, such as 75, 77 of FIG. 1, may be obtained with the use of conventional core frames either secured at the top of vertical molds l3, 15 or by means of releasable pins extending into holes on the inner faces of the panels 13, 15, the said pins being released when the two panels are moved away from one another.

I claim:

1. In a method of mass manufacturing modular units, the steps comprising: casting a horizontal concrete slab at a first level to form a base; raising said base to a second level above said first level; casting vertical concrete walls over said base at said second level and allowing the concrete to set to form a modular unit with said base; lowering said modular unit from said second level to said first level and removing said modular unit to make room for the casting of further modular units.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base is cast in a wheeled mold which is raised to said second level with the base thereon; said unit is lowered from said second level with said wheeled mold and is removed by being wheeled away with said wheeled mold.

3. A method as claimed in claims 1 wherein said vertical walls are cast in a mold having laterally displaceable vertical side panels whereby said panels may be moved away from said vertical walls to reduce friction therebetween during lowering of said unit.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said vertical walls are cast in a mold having a lower open end at said second level and said base is cast directly beneath said vertical wall mold and at said first level.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said vertical walls'are cast in a mold having a lower open end at said second level and said base is cast at a location away from said vertical wall mold and is thereafter brought directly beneath said vertical wall mold to be raised to said second level against said lower open end. a: =1: 

1. In a method of mass manufacturing modular units, the steps comprising: casting a horizontal concrete slab at a first level to form a base; raising said base to a second level above said first level; casting vertical concrete walls over said base at said second level and allowing the concrete to set to form a modular unit with said base; lowering said modular unit from said second level to said first level and removing said modular unit to make room for the casting of further modular units.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base is cast in a wheeled mold which is raised to said second level with the base thereon; said unit is lowered from said second level with said wheeled mold and is removed by being wheeled away with said wheeled mold.
 3. A method as claimed in claims 1 wherein said vertical walls are cast in a mold having laterally displaceable vertical side panels whereby said panels may be moved away from said vertical walls to reduce friction therebetween during lowering of said unit.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said vertical walls are cast in a mold having a lower open end at said second level and said base is cast directly beneath said vertical wall mold and at said first level.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said vertical walls are cast in a mold having a lower open end at said second level and said base is cast at a location away from said vertical wall mold and is thereafter brought directly beneath said vertical wall mold to be raised to said second level against said lower open end. 